Astra Logical is debuting today as a new indie publisher, steps into the gaming arena with a focus on thought-provoking games.
Fueled by a passionate team of industry veterans, Astra Logical evolved from the philanthropic Astra Fund, known for supporting projects like Zach Gage’s Puzzmo and Rytmos.
This mission-driven publisher is committed to nurturing logic-driven games and creative problem-solving by bringing forth titles that engage players in thoughtful exploration.
Astra Logical already is already working with an interesting lineup of game studios, including Coincidence, a fresh studio comprising the original team from Zachtronics, renowned for puzzle game gems like Opus Magnum, Shenzhen I/O, and Infinifactory.
The publisher has also formed partnerships with Kaleidoscube, the creators of A Juggler’s Tale. In 2023, Astra Logical made waves with the release of Snakebird Complete on Nintendo Switch and PC. Building on this success, they are gearing up to publish Star Stuff later this year on Steam.
The backbone of Astra Logical is a seasoned team of industry experts, including managing director Heather Jackson, who previously worked at Amazon Games. It also includes Ryan Tagawa, operations and finance manager, formerly of Serenity Forge; Laura Topakian, head of marketing, previously associated with Future Friends Games and Those Awesome Guys; and Rachel Heleva, scout and developer relations manager, formerly of Modus.
Astra Logical also has the expertise of notable industry advisers Eileen Hollinger (publishing advisor), head of Capybara Games, recognized for her work on Grindstone and a former executive producer at Thatgamecompany; and Nick Suttner, writer on titles such as Carto, Guacamelee! 2 and Bloodroots.
Mission-driven ethos
The Astra Logical team is not just a collective of professionals; it’s a mission-driven company that values ethos and design.
With a purposeful approach, the team has been curated to draw from the vast potential of mentors and experts in the thinky/puzzle game field. Astra Logical aims to assist developers in realizing their design ambitions, ensuring that signed studios can create the most exceptional games possible.
Beyond traditional publishing, Astra Logical wants to distinguish itself by offering genre-specific hands-on game design expertise. The team envisions a collaborative effort where they don’t just support games but actively contribute to the enhancement of their design.
The for-profit company has four employees and is based in Torrance, California. But the team is remote.
The publisher was born out of the inspiration to shine a light on more games that inspire creative problem-solving and challenge players in a meaningful way.
“We believe games are a force for good, and we want to help elevate the incredible developers creating something new in the space. Thinky is for everyone, and we want to help support that vision,” the team said.
Astra Fund was a philanthropic fund that aims to elevate the thinking game genre, with the mission to support the development of great thinking games and to broadly advocate for the value in playing them. In late 2023, Astra Fund pivoted to Astra Logical, a for-profit publishing company, sharing the same values, mission and ethos – thinky games are great, and we want to publish the games people love to solve!
By “thinky” the company means games solvable by reasoning and logic, as opposed to reflex or skill-based. Any game that embraces creative problem-solving and logical reasoning is thinky to the team. That includes puzzle games, but also resource management, deckbuilders, tactics games and more.